A George III brass mounted mahogany musical table clock with fired enamel dials

A George III brass mounted mahogany musical table clock with fired enamel dialsHare, London, late 18th centuryThe compact five pillar triple chain fusee movement with plates measuring 5.5 by 4.5 inches fitted with transverse arrangement of 3.25 inch pinned barrel and twelve hammers for playing a choice of six tunes on a graduated nest of nine bells after the hour has sounded on a further separate bell, with verge escapement regulated by short bob pendulum and signed Hare, London within a delicate floral engraved cartouche to backplate, the 5.75 inch circular convex white fired enamel Roman numeral dial signed HARE, LONDON to centre, with Arabic five minutes to outer track and pierced gilt brass hands beneath separate small 1.5 inch circular enamel subsidiary tune selection dial radially inscribed BELLISLEDON, MILL MILLONE, ANONYMOUS, WHITE COCKADE, CORN GIGS and TWEED SIDE, in a brass mounted mahogany break-arch 'triple pad top' case with hinged brass carrying handle and fillet edged raised panels to top over cavetto moulded arch and full-height front door fitted with separate cast brass moulded convex-glazed bezels for both the dial and subsidiary above within an arrangement of scroll pierced brass blind fret infill panels and flanked by moulded brass inserts to angles, the sides with brass arcade-bordered arched apertures and the rear with full-width door inset with brass fillet bordered fishcale frets and flanked by moulded inserts to angles, on brass ans mahogany stepped ogee mounded skirt base with ogee bracket feet, (case with probable alterations and adaptations), 37cm (14.5ins) high excluding handle. The current lot is most likely by Alexander Hare who is recorded in Baillie, G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as apprenticed in 1776 and working in London 1781-1824.Condition Report: The movement appears complete and is in relatively clean working condition with no noticeable evidence of alteration or significant replacements. Although the musical mechanism is operational the alignment of many of the hammers with regards to the tails engaging with the barrel pins and the heads striking the bells requires attention causing the tunes to have 'gaps'.The dial has repaired enamel chips to the edge between the I and II numerals, at nine o'clock and at six-o'clock as well as some touched-in wear to much of the edges of the enamel. The lower part of the dial has a series of light hairline cracks and there are also a few more beyond the minute ring at 2 o'clock. The winding holes also have some light edge chipping. The tune selection dial appears free form visible damage.The case presents in good decorative order however exhibits details in its construction and detailing which are unusual. The top mouldings are as finely cut as the base mouldings hence are most likely all later replacements. Indeed the dovetail joints of the case can just be seen below the lower edge of these mouldings at the sides suggesting that the original mouldings would have been taller. The form of the set-mask around the dial is unusual as is the way in which it is fitted in the case, this may cause some to suspect that the case has been adapted to take the movement and dial however we cannot see any direct evidence to confirm that this has happened. There is no evidence of the dials having brass bezels fitted to close the gap where they project forward from the mask. The front door is of fairly heavy construction but does not appear to be an obvious replacement. Many of the veneers show very little figuring hence may well be fruitwood stained and polished to resemble mahogany, therefore it is most probable that when made the clock was most likely ebonised; if this is the case then the veneers which are mahogany will replacements. The lower section of the skirt (between the bottom brass moulding and the feet) is a replacement. With the above in mind we have catalogued the clock cautiously as we cannot rule-out the possibility of the case being adapted to take the movement and dial. On this basis we would recommend that prospective purchasers satisfy themselves as to the likely originality of the case or bid in the knowledge that no assurances have been made.Clock does not have a case key or winder. Condition Report Disclaimer